| Jathibhanga massacre জাঠিভাঙ্গা গণহত্যা | |
|---|---|
| Part ofBangladesh genocide | |
  | |
| Location | Jathibhanga,Thakurgaon,Bangladesh (thenEast Pakistan) |
| Date | 23 April 1971 (UTC+6:00) |
| Target | Bengali Hindus |
Attack type | Burst fire,mass murder,massacre |
| Weapons | Machine Guns |
| Deaths | 3,000-3,500 |
| Perpetrators | Pakistani Army,Razakars |
TheJathibhanga massacre (Bengali:জাঠিভাঙ্গা গণহত্যা) was a massacre of between 3,000-3,500Bengali &Rajbanshi Hindus in Jathibhanga,Thakurgaon District,East Pakistan (nowBangladesh) on 23 April 1971. It was perpetrated by thePakistani Army in collaboration with theRazakars as part of the1971 Bangladesh genocide.[1][2] The collaborators included members fromJamaat-e-Islami,Muslim League andPakistan Democratic Party.[3][4] It is estimated that more than 3,000Bengali Hindus were killed in the massacre within a few hours.[3]
On the early morning of 23 April, the Hindus from the twelve villages of Jagannathpur, Chakhaldi, Singia, Chandipur, Alampur, Basudebpur, Gauripur, Milanpur, Khamarbhopla and Sukhanpokhari set out forIndia.[5][6] On their way, thousands of them gathered at a place called Jathibhanga for the onward journey. Soon after their arrival, the local collaborator blocked their exit routes out of Jathibhanga and informed the Pakistani Army.[7] The Hindu men were led in a procession towards the Jathibhanga grounds. The Pakistani army who had by then arrived in two military trucks, forced the fleeing Hindus to stand in lines andburst fired them using machine guns. The killing spree started in the morning and went on till afternoon. After the military left, the collaborators moved the corpses to near the Pathraj river and covered them with earth.[5][6]
The estimated casualty varies between 3,000 and 3,500.[8] However, it is generally accepted that more than 3,000 people died in the massacre. An estimated 300 to 500 women were widowed.[9][10]
In 2009, the Bangladesh government constructed a memorial at the site of the mass killing.[6] In 2011, the survivors and the victims of the massacre brought out a mourning rally to commemorate the dead, followed by a condolence meeting. The speakers at the meeting demanded trial of the war criminals.[7]
In August, 2011, The Bangladesh government granted one time compensation of BDT 2,000 to 89 widows.[11][12] Touhidul Islam, theUpazila Nirbahi Officer ofThakurgaon Sadar Upazila stated five hundred widows of Jathibhanga village would be brought under this scheme phase by phase.[9][10][13]